Vollara supplies no info on its web site about who owns or runs the corporate.
There’s additionally no company tackle offered, nonetheless Vollara’s web site does state it has a “manufacturing facility in Bristol, VA”.
Based on a press-release account, Vollara was based in 2010 by guardian firm Electrolux, USA.
That snippet led me down Vollara’s firm historical past rabbit-hole.
Electrolux, USA was based all the way in which again in 1924. That’s not the Electrolux you recognize immediately.
The Electrolux you recognize immediately is Electrolux Group of Sweden, who separated from Electrolux, USA in 1968.
In 2000 Electrolux Group purchased the rights to Electrolux within the US.
That prompted Electrolux, USA to rebrand as Aerus in 2001.
Joe Urso (proper) purchased Electrolux LLC off of Sara Lee (then Consolidated Meals) in 1998.
Urso owns Aerus, in addition to Vollara – who, at the very least on the equipment facet of issues, are promoting Aerus manufactured merchandise.
Along with proudly owning Vollara, Urso is the corporate’s Chairman and CEO.
Vollara’s particular origins might be traced again to Alpine Industries, co-owned by Michael Jackson and Invoice Converse.
As reported by The Greeneville Solar in 2015;
In 2000, Jackson purchased Converse’s possession curiosity and fashioned a brand new firm, EcoQuest Worldwide, to fabricate the air and water purification merchandise and take over the multi-level advertising community by which Alpine merchandise had been offered.
Beneath Jackson’s management, from 2000 to 2006, each EcoQuest’s gross sales and its community of impartial distributors and sellers elevated explosively.
Firm merchandise had been marketed by EcoQuest’s worldwide multi-level community which at one time numbered some 100,000 impartial distributors or sellers.
Nonetheless, the dramatic progress and growth, coming similtaneously enormously elevated market competitors, introduced EcoQuest vital monetary stresses by 2006.
On account of the difficulties, together with foreclosures on financial institution debt, most of EcoQuest’s property had been bought in March 2009 by the Aerus subsidiary and moved to the big Aerus manufacturing and distribution facility in Bristol.
EcoQuest Worldwide itself, as a company entity, was compelled to declare chapter in late 2009.
Individually, in early 2010, Aerus re-formed what had been EcoQuest worldwide, and the brand new firm was given the title Vollara.
Why this info isn’t offered on Vollara’s web site is unclear.
Learn on for a full evaluate of Vollara’s MLM alternative.
Vollara’s Merchandise
Vollara’s flagship merchandise are a sequence of air purifiers and water filters.
Most of Vollara’s air merchandise are geared up with our unique, award-winning ActivePure Expertise that safely eliminates almost 100% of airborne and floor micro organism, viruses, mildew, fungus + VOCs.
Moreover, Vollara declare they’ve
spent tens of tens of millions of {dollars} growing merchandise, buying patents and testing them with requirements in numerous settings together with chemical research and others in labs licensed to be compliant with US, FDA and EPA requirements and rules.
Purifiers and filters featured on Vollara’s web site embrace:
- Vollara Air & Floor Professional (non-ozone) – “compact air air purifier”
- Vollara Air & Floor Professional+ – “new and improved ActivePure Cell design delivers ActivePure sooner”
- FreshAir Cell – “Our pocket-sized air purifier supplies clear, wholesome air once you’re on the go”
- Pet Refresh – “plug-in air air purifier is nice for smaller rooms as much as 50 sq. ft in dimension that want focused air purification”
- FreshAir Focus – “helps take away odors in poorly ventilated areas”
- FreshAir Private – “supplies nature’s personal highly effective cleansing properties with a built-in ionizer”
- LivingWater – “a pH-balancing, wholesome alkaline water filter that connects to your sink”
Word that retail pricing isn’t offered on Vollara’s web site.
That stated, I used to be capable of observe down a December 2020 Vollara value listing. I’ve not quoted the costs immediately as I don’t know if they’re nonetheless correct.
Right here’s the price of Vollara’s purifiers and filters as of December 2020:
Vollara additionally has a variety of dietary dietary supplements:
- Necessities For Life – “the last word 6-in-1 full dietary complement … with nutritional vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flora and enzymes”
- HealthySlips – Broad Spectrum Hemp CBD strips
- KetoZone – “one serving of KetoneZone consists of vitamins wanted to assist your physique transition into ketosis”
- Good Begin – “a low sugar, excessive protein creamer constituted of wholesome coconut fats”
- Re:Take up – “helps guarantee your physique is ready to correctly take up and make the most of the vitamins you eat”
- Re:Stability – “has 12 strains of wholesome micro organism to assist and keep the expansion of billions of probiotic flora”
- Re:Coupe – “B nutritional vitamins will help you get again on observe”
- Re:Flex – “a proprietary mix of enzymes, highly effective herbs and antioxidants particularly formulated to assist muscle and joint well being whereas serving to you get well extra shortly from bodily exercise”
- Re:Thoughts – “a balanced supply of omega-3 important fatty acids that promote coronary heart well being”
- Re:Plenish – “a proprietary mix of pink grape juices together with the highly effective Muscadine, Syrah and Cabernet grape juices, which give excessive ranges of antioxidants and resveratrol”
- Re:Sist – “helps the immune system with a novel mixture of pure extracts and nutritional vitamins”
- Re:Vive – “clear pondering and vitality”
- Royal Necessities – “a complement that mixes Royal Jelly, Nutritional vitamins C and B12, complete meals substances and unpasteurized honey to assist a wholesome cardiovascular system”
Vollara’s dietary supplements are additionally accessible in numerous bundle packs.
Once more, to provide you an thought of pricing right here’s the related merchandise from Vollara’s December 2020 listing:
Two Vollara merchandise that don’t match into both of the above classes are:
- LaundryPure 2.0 – “(makes use of) chilly water infused with hydrogen and oxygen-based oxidizers to bubble and raise filth from clothes fibers, lowering the necessity for laundry detergent”
- SteadyPower – “supplies an economical, single-installation option to defend your entire dwelling from electrical surges and spikes whereas conditioning incoming electrical energy to optimize energy issue and scale back static-causing line noise”
Vollara’s Compensation Plan
Vollara’s compensation plan is initially tied to gross sales quantity generated by personally recruited associates.
Throughout increased ranks generations come into play, increasing accessible commissionable quantity.
Further rank-based and gross sales quantity bonuses are additionally accessible.
Vollara Affiliate Ranks
There are 9 affiliate ranks inside Vollara’s compensation plan.
Together with their respective qualification standards, they’re as follows:
- Enterprise Affiliate – join as a Vollara affiliate and generate and keep 100 PV a month
- Bronze Affiliate – keep 100 PV a month and generate and keep 2000 TQV a month
- Silver Affiliate – keep 100 PV a month, generate and keep 3000 TQV a month and recruit and keep two Enterprise Associates or increased
- Gold Govt – generate and keep 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month for 3 consecutive months (alternatively 200 PV and 15,000 TQV in a single month), and recruit and keep three Enterprise Associates or increased
- Platinum 1-Star Govt – keep 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, keep two personally recruited Enterprise Associates or increased and personally recruit at the very least one Gold Govt or increased
- Platinum 2-Star Govt – keep 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, keep two personally recruited Enterprise Associates or increased, keep one personally recruited Gold Govt or increased and have at the very least three Gold Executives or increased in your downline
- Platinum 3-Star Govt – keep 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, keep one personally recruited Enterprise Affiliate or increased, recruit and keep two Gold Executives or increased and have at the very least 5 Gold Executives or increased in your downline
- Platinum 4-Star Director – keep 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, keep one personally recruited Enterprise Affiliate or increased, recruit and keep two Gold Executives or increased and have at the very least six Gold Executives or increased in your downline
- Platinum 5-Star Director – keep 200 PV and 5000 TQV a month, generate and keep 10,000 GV a month, recruit and keep three Gold Executives or increased and have at the very least eight Gold Executives or increased in your downline
PV stands for “Private Quantity”. PV is gross sales quantity generated by way of retail gross sales and an affiliate’s personal orders.
TQV stands for “Group Qualifying Quantity”. TQV is gross sales quantity from personally recruited Silver Associates and decrease ranked associates.
Word that from Silver Affiliate, not more than 50% of required TQV can come from anybody recruited affiliate.
GV stands for “Group Quantity”. GV is PV generated by an affiliate and their complete downline.
Retail Commissions
Vollara associates earn a retail fee on the sale of merchandise to retail clients.
Retail commissions are calculated because the distinction between the wholesale and retail value of merchandise ordered, minus a 4% “processing charge” (utilized to the retail value).
One instance offered by Vollara associates is the air air purifier. The air air purifier prices $538 wholesale and retails for $1499.
This generates a $961 retail fee per unit offered to a retail buyer.
Recruitment Bonuses
Vollara associates earn a $200 recruitment bonus if a personally recruited affiliate purchases a “Vollara Builder Pack” after they join, or inside their first three months.
Vollara refers to this preliminary three-month interval because the “Quick Begin Interval”.
Sure Builder Packs additionally set off a recruitment bonus if bought exterior of the preliminary three-month interval:
This consists of the primary eligible Pack bought by the brand new Affiliate exterior of Quick Begin Interval.
Specifics will not be offered.
One other recruitment bonus is tied to SFSGV.
SFSGV is gross sales quantity generated by purchases made by a recruited affiliate throughout their three-month Quick Begin Interval.
The SFSGV recruitment bonus is set as follows:
- generate 10,000 SFSGV and obtain $500
- generate 15,000 SFSGV and obtain $750
- generate 20,000 SFSGV and obtain $1000
- generate 25,000 SFSGV and obtain $1500
I’m assuming the SFSGV bonus is calculated month-to-month (though there’s a three-month qualifying interval), nonetheless this isn’t explicitly clarified in Vollara’s compensation documentation.
Recruitment Commissions
Vollara associates earn a fee on any merchandise bought by recruited associates throughout their “Quick Begin Interval” (their first three months).
- Enterprise Associates to Silver Associates earn a 20% recruitment fee fee
- Gold Executives and better earn a 35% recruitment fee
Word that recruitment commissions are coded, that means 35% is paid out on every newly recruited affiliate buy.
If a Enterprise Affiliate to Silver Affiliate earns a recruitment fee, the system searches upline for the primary Gold Govt to pay the remaining 15% out to.
TQV Commissions
Group Qualifying Quantity commissions are paid on gross sales quantity generated by personally recruited Silver Associates and decrease ranked associates.
- Enterprise Associates earn a 5% TQV fee fee
- Bronze Associates earn a ten% TQV fee fee
- Silver Associates earn a 20% TQV fee fee
- Gold Executives and better earn a 35% TQV fee fee
Word that TQV Commissions are coded, that means 35% is paid out on all TQV.
Enterprise Associates, Bronze Associates and Silver Associates earn TQV commissions at their relevant fee fee.
The system then searches up line for increased ranked associates to pay the remaining 15%, 25% or 30% too.
Word that this remaining 30% can go to a number of associates.
E.g. a Enterprise Affiliate generates TQV and earns their 5% for the month, leaving 30% to pay out.
The system searches upline and discover a Silver Affiliate first. They’re usually paid 20% however 5% has already been paid out on the amount, so that they obtain 15%.
This nonetheless leaves 15% to pay out, so the system continues to look upline for a Gold Govt or increased to pay the remaining proportion out to.
Word that any time a Gold Govt is discovered, they’re paid the whole excellent proportion and nothing additional is handed up.
Generational Bonus
The Generational Bonus is paid to Platinum 1-Star Executives and better.
The Generational Bonus is paid out by way of a unilevel compensation construction.
A unilevel compensation construction locations an affiliate on the prime of a unilevel workforce, with each personally recruited affiliate positioned immediately underneath them (stage 1):
If any stage 1 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on stage 2 of the unique affiliate’s unilevel workforce.
If any stage 2 associates recruit new associates, they’re positioned on stage 3 and so forth and so forth down a theoretical infinite variety of ranges.
Vollara defines a technology throughout the unilevel workforce when a Gold Govt or increased is present in a leg.
This affiliate caps off the primary technology for that leg, with the second technology starting instantly thereafter.
If a second Gold Govt or increased ranked affiliate is discovered deeper within the leg, they cap off the second technology for the leg. A 3rd technology begins after them.
Utilizing this technology definition, the Generational Bonus is paid on gross sales quantity generated throughout as much as 5 generations per unilevel workforce leg:
- Platinum 1-Star Executives earn 15% on one technology per leg
- Platinum 2-Star Executives earn 15% on the primary technology and 4% on the second per leg
- Platinum 3-Star Executives earn 15% on the primary technology, 4% on the second and three% on the third per leg
- Platinum 4-Star Administrators earn 15% on the primary technology, 4% on the second, 3% on the third and 0.5% on the fourth per leg
- Platinum 5-Star Ambassadors earn 15% on the primary technology, 4% on the second, 3% on the third, 0.5% on the fourth and 0.25% on the fifth per leg
Automotive Bonus
Gold Govt and better ranked Vollara associates can qualify for a $600 a month Automotive Bonus.
To qualify they have to generate 10,000 TQV and 2000 TQVFS a month.
Word that not more than 50% of required TQV and TQVFS can come from anybody recruitment leg.
TQV is gross sales quantity generated by personally recruited Silver Associates and decrease ranked associates.
TQVFS is TQV generated inside these affiliate’s Quick Begin Interval (their first three months).
Rank Achievement Bonus
Bronze Associates and better obtain the next one-time Rank Achievement Bonuses:
- qualify at Bronze Affiliate and obtain $50 product credit score
- qualify at Silver Affiliate and obtain a $100 product credit score
- qualify at Gold Govt and obtain a $200 product credit score
Word {that a} 100% product credit score match can be awarded to the affiliate who recruited the qualifying affiliate.
Govt Quick Begin Bonus Enhance
The Govt Quick Begin Bonus Enhance is paid to Gold Executives and better.
There are seven tiers to the Govt Quick Begin Bonus Enhance:
- generate 25,000 GV and 2000 TQVFS and obtain $1000
- generate 50,000 GV and 2000 TQVFS and obtain $1500
- generate 100,000 GV and 3000 TQVFS and obtain $2000
- generate 200,000 GV and 3000 TQVFS and obtain $3000
- generate 300,000 GV and 4000 TQVFS and obtain $4000
- generate 400,000 GV and 4000 TQVFS and obtain $8000
- generate 500,000 GV and 5000 TQVFS and obtain $10,000
Whether or not these are amassed or month-to-month necessities isn’t specified.
Becoming a member of Vollara
Vollara don’t present affiliate membership prices on their web site.
Primarily based on advertising displays I’ve seen, Vollara associates can join vanilla affiliate membership or pay hundreds for a “builder pack”.
The beforehand referenced December 2020 Vollara value listing particulars a free affiliate member possibility together with the builder packs:
Take the above pricing as a information. I do not know if the quoted figures are nonetheless correct.
Vollara Conclusion
EcoQuest basically collapsed as a result of it wasn’t aggressive. I get the sensation that’s nonetheless the case immediately with Vollara.
Earlier than we get into that there’s Vollara’s main disclosure drawback.
On its public-facing web site, Vollara fails to supply:
- company info;
- a company tackle;
- retail pricing;
- affiliate membership prices; and
- compensation particulars.
With respect to MLM due-diligence, these are pink flags that shouldn’t be ignored. They’re additionally potential violations of the FTC Act.
For an MLM firm that may hint its roots again to 2000, that is, fairly frankly, unacceptable.
Vollara’s lack of retail pricing particularly is telling. And brings us again to competitiveness.
Vollara associates are inspired to buy their air purifiers in a “5-pack” for $2699. Vollara associates discuss with this as an “funding”:
Whereas Vollara don’t disclose pricing on their web site, as you possibly can see above the wholesale value of every air purifier is $538. That is what Vollara associates pay (the above screenshot is from mid 2021 and is cheaper then the beforehand quoted December 2020 pricing).
The retail value for one air purifier is $1499.
Vollara’s retail clients are anticipated to pay nearly triple the wholesale value, as a result of commissions.
Vollara make a giant deal about their “ActivePure” expertise.
The Vollara Air & Floor Professional combines a number of complementary applied sciences, together with HEPA, activated carbon, and
ActivePure Expertise.Patented ActivePure Expertise is essentially the most highly effective floor and air purification ever found.
It has been confirmed to cut back over 99.9% of many frequent airborne and floor contaminants.
The filters have “ActivePure cells” in them, that are marked “replaceable”.
One attention-grabbing side of Vollara’s filters is the Covid-19 advertising.
As above, final December ActivePure (which is a stand-alone firm throughout the Aerus ecosystem), utilized for emergency FDA approval for its filters.
This ties into the filters killing COVID-19 within the air. And naturally Vollara associates had been fast to combine this into their advertising:
I couldn’t discover something additional on the FDA utility, so I’m assuming it was both denied or nonetheless pending (?).
In any occasion, whereas air purifiers would possibly kill COVID-19 in a lab atmosphere, how efficient is that out within the wild?
When you’re in a room with somebody who has COVID-19 and is respiration/coughing/sneezing it round, a bit of air purifier within the nook of the room isn’t going to catch all the pieces earlier than you’ve breathed some in.
The place I can see them being efficient is in cleansing out a room after somebody who’s contaminated has left. However that is assuming the realm was cleared after they left and the air purifier was given time to work.
That’s not occurring in your typical enterprise atmosphere as pitched above.
With respect to Vollara’s air air purifier advertising exterior of COVID-19, perhaps 99.9%+ contamination elimination was a factor 20 years in the past.
Lately nonetheless it’s normal, if not anticipated. And competing models solely value a number of hundred {dollars}.
This makes Vollara’s $538 air purifier wholesale value most likely what the precise retail value ought to be about.
You’re nonetheless paying a premium for ActivePure however you’re sitting on the high-end of retail dwelling air purifier system choices.
$1599 is ridiculous and I can’t see too many individuals going for it exterior of the MLM alternative.
And that’s an issue.
The advertising for Vollara’s MLM alternative focuses closely on signing up with a 5-pack of purifiers. You then receives a commission recruiting others who do the identical.
Clearly hundreds of {dollars} on purifiers every month doesn’t work for autoship, so for that there’s the dietary complement line.
And that’s the supposed enterprise. Retail merely exists as a chance, it’s not a spotlight.
That is evidenced each in Vollara’s compensation plan in addition to advertising displays.
Outdoors of Vollara’s air purifiers there’s the water filter, once more broadly accessible. The corporate additionally sells a “energy conditioner” and detergent-free laundry machine.
I had a quick look into energy conditioners and their main promoting level appears to be checking out static and safety from surges.
Once more, perhaps this was a factor 20 years in the past? Lately in case your meter doesn’t have a protector then your energy board ought to.
Static might be a problem in relation to sound. You probably have an issue with this then perhaps a conditioner is an possibility.
I can’t converse from private expertise right here as a result of I’ve by no means had a problem with this.
Vollara do market SteadyPower as “bettering effectivity”, nonetheless that doesn’t appear to be a promoting level elsewhere.
With respect to the detergent-free LaundryPure 2.0 machine, Good Housekeeping examined it and located it “didn’t zap stains any higher than plain water.”
Good Housekeeping examined three gadgets, with LaundryPure 2.0 coming it at double and a 3rd once more the price of the opposite two gadgets ($600 vs. $300 and $397).
Vollara’s merchandise being super-expensive appears to be a working theme right here.
LaundryPure 2.0 works by mixing chilly water “with hydrogen and oxygen-based oxidizers”. This creates ozone.
In January 2021 the California Air Sources Board revealed a examine that includes LaundryPure 2.0.
They discovered that LaundryPure 2.0 “emitted ozone at ranges that will lead to well being results”.
The best enhance of room ozone focus from a single use was from the laundry water therapy system.
The room ozone focus step by step elevated to ranges above the extent of the 1-hr California AAQS for out of doors ozone, and peaked at about 0.25 ppm.
As a result of customers’ proximity to this product, the focus of ozone that customers truly inhale might be even increased.
Further testing confirmed that for one wash cycle, customers could also be uncovered to a median of 0.42 ppm ozone, which accounts for about one-quarter to one-half of the ozone {that a} typical California resident could also be uncovered to in someday.
Granted that may not be a problem in case your machine is in a well-ventilated space, wherein case there’s additionally this to think about:
As a result of its robust oxidative means, ozone is broadly marketed for odor elimination and disinfection.
Nonetheless, the advantages of ozone-generating merchandise as claimed by their producers will not be effectively supported.
For instance, to kill fungi and micro organism, ozone concentrations at the very least 5 ppm or increased are required, which is increased than the extent that almost all home equipment can produce and within the unhealthy vary for people.
Vollara’s dietary complement vary was fairly ho-hum. A mishmash of merchandise available elsewhere with pricing unknown.
Transferring onto Vollara’s compensation plan; as an entire its very top-heavy, that means the vast majority of commissions are geared to and/or completely paid to high-ranking associates.
Preliminary quantity commissions are coded, seeing associates pass-up what they don’t qualify for. Generations, the majority of MLM commissions paid out, don’t kick in until Platinum 1-Star Govt.
This can be a mid-tier rank. What we usually see in MLM firms is almost all of associates not making it previous the primary few ranks.
This implies there’s an excellent likelihood the overwhelming majority of Vollara associates don’t even qualify for the majority of MLM commissions paid out.
The TQV and TQVFS bonuses (quantity generated from ranks underneath Silver Affiliate), appear to strengthen the “join with a 5-pack of purifiers and recruit others who do the identical” advertising.
Signing as much as autoship can be incentivized, by way of waiving of the month-to-month 100 PV requirement for six months.
New Associates who join any Subscribe + Save get a 100 PQV Credit score for qualification functions solely throughout their first 6 month interval.
What recruited associates truly do with the five-pack of purifiers they’ve signed up for wasn’t a priority.
For his or her half Vollara doesn’t require retail gross sales, audit retail gross sales or have any retail quantity qualifiers of their compensation plan.
Maybe essentially the most damning indication Vollara’s MLM alternative is recruitment centric was this query from one of many firm’s leaders:
Hey, not everybody desires to retail … however how about constructing a workforce?
This led to an affiliate autoship recruitment pitch, targeted on Vollara associates “registering individuals who purchase the product at the very same value they purchase the product for”. I.e. signal them up as affiliate recruits to entry wholesale pricing.
I can’t touch upon the general well being of the corporate, however as an MLM alternative after twenty-one years Vollara is in tough form.
I’d infer neglect however that’d be hypothesis my half. I do nonetheless get the distinct impression that Vollara is only a company money-spinner for Aerus, versus an MLM firm run by passionate individuals.
This begins with the corporate’s faceless company web site, full lack of retail focus and top-heavy compensation plan.
When you’re a potential Aerus affiliate and somebody has hit you with the “join with a 5-pack” pitch, run.